Original Article
Are there universal parenting concepts among culturally diverse families in an inner-city pediatric clinic?

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pedhc.2004.10.007Get rights and content

Introduction

Cultural competence is necessary in providing care to culturally diverse families. Numerous studies have emphasized similarities and differences between predetermined cultural groups, yet few have studied groups across cultures. This project aimed to investigate parenting concepts, which in this context pertains to philosophy of parenting and child care practices across cultures.

Method

Using a grounded theory approach, ethnographic interviews of 46 families representing 27 countries were taped, transcribed, and analyzed.

Results

Similarities in parenting concepts were found among families. Teaching values and respect and the need for strict discipline were important. A sense of community, family, and spirituality/religion was strong. Television was viewed as educational and parents anticipated opportunities for jobs and higher education for their children. Parents were more inclined to use medical treatments than home remedies for acute illnesses, which may have been linked to the finding that their providers had a strong influence. Parents feared children playing alone outdoors; distrusted nonfamily babysitters; and felt conflicted between a desire for cultural preservation versus assimilation.

Discussion

Universal concepts in parenting philosophies and practices exist among culturally diverse families. Providers may approach anticipatory guidance by addressing global parental concerns that transcend culture in order to relieve time constraints and the overwhelming task of being knowledgeable about all cultures.

Section snippets

Methods

Between June and September 2002, 46 parents of young children attending an inner-city pediatric ambulatory clinic in the Bronx, New York, were recruited for this study from either the waiting areas or the examination rooms. All families had been scheduled for a primary care visit for their child. Parents were recruited and interviewed by two medical students who selected patients from the waiting areas after they had sat down and then asked parents for their permission to be interviewed. The

Results

The 11 themes were grouped under three broad headings: Parenting Philosophies (Box 3); Influence of American Culture and Perceived Opportunities for Children (Box 4); and Parenting Practices (Box 5). The four themes that reflected the most common parenting philosophies were teaching of family values and respect for elders, the importance of family, and the importance of religion and spirituality. While not a philosophy, the conflict between assimilation and cultural preservation was a prominent

Discussion

This study found that universal parenting philosophies and practices exists among this group of culturally diverse parents. These 11 themes may help frame an approach to providing anticipatory guidance and counseling of families from culturally diverse backgrounds by using these broad topics as openings to discuss individual needs and concerns. The specific themes found in this study are not all new, except for the reluctance of parents to use home remedies to treat their children's acute

Conclusion

A common ground or universality of parenting concepts among families from culturally diverse backgrounds existed in this study. Although there is always a need to respect and respond to the individual needs of all patients and families, these intersections of parenting philosophies and practices among families across cultures can offer health care providers a basis upon which to approach parenting issues pertinent to pediatric primary care. These findings of universality among culturally

References (23)

  • DeSantisL. et al.

    Potential for intergenerational conflict in Cuban and Haitian immigrant families

    Archives of Psychiatric Nursing

    (1995)
  • ParkM.S.

    The factors of child physical abuse in Korean immigrant families

    Child Abuse and Neglect

    (2001)
  • BarnesL.L. et al.

    Spirituality, religion, and pediatrics: Intersecting worlds of healing

    Pediatrics

    (2000)
  • BeckC.

    Grounded theory: Overview and application in pediatric nursing

    Issues in Comprehensive Nursing

    (1996)
  • BornsteinM. et al.

    Mother-infant interaction and acculturation: I. Behavioral comparisons in Japanese American and South American families

    International Journal of Behavioral Development

    (2001)
  • BornsteinM. et al.

    Parenting beliefs and behaviors in Northern and Southern groups of Italian mothers of young infants

    Journal of Family Psychology

    (2001)
  • CertainL.K. et al.

    Prevalence, correlates, and trajectory of television viewing among infants and toddlers

    Pediatrics

    (2002)
  • CordonaP. et al.

    Parenting among Hispanic and Anglo-American mothers with young children

    Journal of Social Psychology

    (2000)
  • HarwoodR. et al.

    Cultural differences in maternal beliefs and behaviors: A study of middle-class Anglo and Puerto Rican mother-infant pairs in four everyday situations

    Child Development

    (1999)
  • JoseP. et al.

    Parental values and practices relevant to young children's social development in Taiwan and the United States

    Journal of Cross Cultural Psychology

    (2000)
  • KloosterhouseV. et al.

    Families' use of religion/spirituality as a psychosocial resource

    Holistic Nursing Practice

    (2002)
  • Cited by (21)

    • Traditional and complementary approaches to health for children: Modelling the parental decision-making process using Andersen's sociobehavioural model

      2013, Complementary Therapies in Medicine
      Citation Excerpt :

      For children, decision-making is likely to include the whole family not just the patient, with children reliant on carers’ decision-making.13 Other factors in decision-making may include being a ‘good’ carer,14 being more cautious with children's health15 and having a greater dissatisfaction with conventional healthcare,16 all of which may mean carers use different treatments for children compared to themselves.17 Also, women/mothers are more likely to be the decision makers, and are higher users of healthcare services than men, including CAM.18,19

    • Optimizing the early parent-child relationship: Windows of opportunity for parents and pediatricians

      2011, Current Problems in Pediatric and Adolescent Health Care
      Citation Excerpt :

      It is important to inquire about specific risk factors for child behavior and development as described earlier. In addition, special attention must be paid to the role of culture on parenting practices and parental understanding and interpretation of child behavior and development.12 For the pediatric patient, this can include, but is not limited to, the following: parenting philosophies, the influence of the American culture, parenting practices/discipline, religion and spirituality, and behavioral expectations.

    • Child Health Care Decision Making and Experiences of Caribbean Women

      2007, Journal of Pediatric Health Care
      Citation Excerpt :

      These findings are congruent with research conducted with other immigrant groups from the same region (Gordon, 1994; Mikhail, 1994; Pachter 1994; Pachter et al., 1995). However, it contradicts the findings by McEvoy et al. (2005) in their study of 46 immigrant families from 27 different countries (including the English-speaking Caribbean) and representing numerous cultures. The reluctance of the parents in that study to use home remedies appeared to be related to a more trusting relationship with their health care provider, concerns about the safety of these products in children, and a strong desire to assimilate into U.S. culture.

    View all citing articles on Scopus

    This project was funded in part by the Arnold P. Gold Foundation.

    1

    Mimi McEvoy is Principal Associate, Pediatrics, and Co-Director, Introduction to Clinical Medicine Program, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York.

    2

    Allison O'Neill and Connie Lee are currently fourth year medical students (second year medical students at the time of the study), Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York.

    3

    Adriana Groisman is Assistant Professor, Pediatrics, Jacobi Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York.

    4

    Kirsten Roberts is Assistant Professor, Pediatrics, Jacobi Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York.

    5

    Kishwar Dinghra is Assistant Professor, Pediatrics, Jacobi Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York.

    6

    Kathleen Porder is Assistant Professor, Pediatrics, Jacobi Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York.

    View full text